Purple Heart recipient recounts action in Afghanistan

From serving as a volunteer emergency medical technician and later as an Army infantry officer and Ranger regiment platoon leader, 1st Lt. Jamie Rolfing has a unique perspective on the war on terror in Afghanistan.

The two-time Purple Heart recipient, a Flathead Valley native and 2003 Flathead High School valedictorian, recently returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan. He talked about the contrast between being a civilian volunteer and an infantry soldier.

“It was a significant difference, having been there as a civilian before,” Rolfing said. “I went over initially because of our country’s involvement there and I felt very strongly about contributing to that, both for our nation’s sake, but also for Afghanistan itself. The more I researched it, the more I realized what a great opportunity there was to do a lot of good there and to help a very needy population and a country that is obviously in great need.”

As a civilian, Rolfing, 28, volunteered with CURE International in hospitals and health clinics in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and Angoor Ada in the Wakhan Corridor.

“It was really striking to me to see how much you can contribute just as a lone person that has a desire to do some good, even with very basic skill sets,” Rolfing said. “I was just an EMT and I wanted to go and help people in need and contribute to the cause our nation was working for there.”

After he returned from his volunteer service, Rolfing decided to contribute by joining the Army and choosing the infantry as his branch of service. Although the infantry is a far cry from volunteering as an EMT, Rolfing said the decision was partly based on a desire to develop his leadership skills and serve both the soldiers under his command and the people on the ground.

“The infantry is really the core basis of what the military does,” he said. “It’s the ground level, and for me, it’s the epitome of service and leadership. When I was volunteering in Afghanistan I really saw that the non-governmental organizations and the military work hand-in-hand. The military is providing the security, so the NGOs can build up the infrastructure.”

That first experience of seeing the interaction between the military and civilian volunteers strengthened his desire to enlist.

“It was encouraging to me to see what good somebody who wants to make a difference can do,” Rolfing said. 

During his first deployment in Afghanistan, Rolfing got to see the country from a different perspective — as an infantry soldier.

“That deployment was definitely tough,” he said. “Wazari is a pretty nasty place; we were there from February 2012 through the beginning of September, which covers the main part of the fighting season.”

Rolfing’s unit saw heavy action, and his EMT skills were put to the test.

“Our whole battalion and brigade had some pretty heavy losses, but especially in my platoon,” he said. “Three of my soldiers were killed and over half the platoon came back with Purple Hearts, some of them multiple.”

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed in combat.

Rolfing himself was injured multiple times and received two Purple Heart combat decorations during that deployment as he was called on to use his medical knowledge to help his fellow soldiers.

“One of the times our platoon was hit, our medic was hit,” he said. “It fell to the guys that had some background in medicine to be able to render the aid that was necessary. There were also times when we had too many guys to care for and one medic couldn’t do it all, and if you had that knowledge, you had to jump in.”

The first time Rolfing was injured was from a grenade and the second time it was from an improvised explosive device that killed two of his fellow infantrymen and three Afghans.

“It was one of those things that you never want to be on the receiving end of, and I’m very fortunate to be able to walk away when some other guys weren’t so lucky.

“We don’t wear those awards for ourselves; we wear them to honor those that weren’t able to make it home. They’re the reason why myself and a lot of other guys continue to serve, continue to fight, and go back time after time. There’s no better way to honor those who have made that sacrifice than to complete the mission.”

Completing that mission was something he and his unit members were compelled to do, and even though the cost was high, Rolfing said he feels as though he accomplished something.

“My unit got hit pretty hard, but we were also able to make a lot of gains there,” he said. “I really feel that although we took some heavy losses, we were definitely able to make some significant contributions and accomplish a lot. But it was definitely at a high cost.”

Rolfing said he plans to apply for medical school at some point after completing his military service.

“I plan to go into the medical field in the future and I really value the respect and credibility that comes from practical experience,” he said. “If I’m going to be a physician later on, I am going to be caring for soldiers and their families, whether I do that in the military or as a civilian. I want to have had practical experience walking in their shoes, and knowing what they have gone through.”

Currently stationed in Tacoma, Wash., with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Rolfing said he is unsure how long he will remain in the military.

“I’m kind of suspending that decision to be a ‘lifer’ until I have more experience, and know for sure whether I want to stay in long-term or to serve my time and get out,” Rolfing said. “I do still plan to apply to medical school, but I haven’t decided whether it will be on a scholarship with the Army to come back as a military physician, or to get out and do it as a civilian.

“There’s nothing more satisfying and fulfilling to me than being able to serve my nation, to accomplish its tasks in defense overseas, but also to be able to serve the soldiers I’m charged with. But there’s a lot that I’ve missed about the rest of the world, and that’s what draws me back.”

Reporter Melissa Walther may be reached at 758-4474 or by email at mwalther@dailyinterlake.com.